Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

lickety-split

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.79 in modern English

Syllables
lick-ety-s-plit
IPA
23
Scrabble Score
12
Letters
4
Syllables
9
Unique Chars

Meaning

adv

Quickly; as fast as possible; in short order.

Example Sentences

Etymology

First attested during the 19th century, in the US, equivalent to lickedy + split, perhaps as a reference to the flick or darting of a snake's forked tongue. The forms lickety-cut and licketie are similarly attested; and forms with t are likely due to Scottish influence.

Inflected Forms

lickedy-split (alternative)

Questions

What does lickety-split mean?
Quickly; as fast as possible; in short order.
Where does lickety-split come from?
First attested during the 19th century, in the US, equivalent to lickedy + split, perhaps as a reference to the flick or darting of a snake's forked tongue. The forms lickety-cut and licketie are similarly attested; and forms with t are likely due to Scottish influence.

How to pronounce lickety-split

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “lickety-split”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “lickety-split”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “lickety-split” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.